As You Wish
by Ladykestrel
Summary: Brass and Iris come to a crossroads with the unexpected arrival of someone from Brass’s past, causing wrinkles in the fabric of more than one relationship. What choices will be made? What wishes will be granted?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN CSI OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS; THEY BELONG TO CBS OR ANTHONY ZUIKER**

**A/N: Brass and Iris come to a crossroads with the unexpected arrival of someone from Brass's past, causing wrinkles in the fabric of more than one relationship. What choices will be made? What wishes will be granted? **

**RATING: K+**

**GENRE: Romance/Angst**

**TIMELINE: Takes place approximately six months after "The FULL CSI."**

**EPISODE INFLUENCES/SPOILERS: "Hollywood Brass"; "The Hunger Artist"**

**ACKNOWLEDGEDMENTS: "Safe in the Arms of Love" written/sung by Martina McBride**

_**My onging humble thanks to lady betas Kacee and Mel for their patience and support. **_

"**As You Wish"**

CHAPTER ONE

The sun was hot this Monday morning as Nick and Iris walked into the CSI lab building at the beginning of their shift. Nick glanced over to Iris, wondering how she kept up. She seemed to have no problem matching his stride though. He was still dating her fencing partner Breanne, even going so far as to watch the women in an amateur fencing competition. Knowing if he was ever in a dark alley, he wanted those two on his side.

As if she knew his thoughts, Iris said, "You and Breanne coming along okay?"

Nick's ear-to-ear grin readily answered that question. Iris was pleased things were going so well between the two. She had not tried to play matchmaker before the all-male talent show the CSI guys had been in nearly six months ago, but seeing the fruit it bore after the fact was a good thing she thought.

"Nick, I'm stopping by Jim's office right quick and then I'll be in for the assignments," Iris said suddenly and turned to head down another hall.

Heading toward the break room, Nick was also thinking that the detective's seeing Iris was a good thing as well. Jim and Iris were now public about their dating, but the two acted so professional while at work that only those who knew them best were aware.

Knocking softly at his open office door, Iris poked her head in. Brass was sitting at his desk. Iris asked, "Hey, are we on for dinner tonight at my place?" This was a nightly routine for them, Brass fearing he was benefiting too much from her great cooking. She suddenly noticed he was not alone.

"Umm, Iris tonight's not good," Brass said slowly, almost faltering on his response. His facial expression looked pained, and his discomfort was nearly palpable.

The woman in the chair across from Brass suddenly turned toward Iris. She was a stunningly attractive woman, tall, slender, long reddish hair framing a face showing intelligence and beauty. "You must be Iris. Jim's mentioned you. I'm Annie Kramer. He and I go back a ways."

Iris did not hesitate as she walked into the office and extended her hand to Annie, her handshake firm. "It's a pleasure to meet one of Captain Brass's long-term friends. Forgive the intrusion, I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation. I'm late as it is for my assignment. Please excuse me."

Jim rose from his chair, "Iris, some other time, okay?"

Iris could only manage a forced smile saying, "As you wish…" Dismissing herself, she quickly bolted from the office.

"So that's Iris. She seems nice but not one I could see you with though, Jim. Am I staying at your place then?" Annie said as she turned back to Brass.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Grissom was getting ready to hand out his assignments to the team as Iris walked in quickly. He glanced at her as she came in. She was usually one of the first ones in and all ears when he made ready to give out the duty list. A ghost of a smile remained set on Iris's face as she sat down beside Sara. Grissom could tell something was bothering Iris but also knew she would not let it disrupt her work. Not the time or place to ask her Grissom thought and began to hand out the assignments, making one quick adjustment as he did so.

Warrick was still home sick with the flu and would be out again that day. Iris made a mental note to call him and take him some homemade chicken noodle soup. Iris was then surprised to hear Grissom say she was being assigned to him to work a DB case.

She made quick notes about the circumstances, her kit was ready to go and she could meet Grissom promptly to leave. Everyone got up to go to his or her respective tasks.

"I'm with you then, boss?" Iris asked Grissom as they exited the break room. "I don't think I've had that honor yet and I've been here nearly a year."

"Has it only been that long? It seems like you've been here forever with us," Grissom replied with a very slight smile as they headed out to his Tahoe.

"I seem to make folks think that of me, well, nearly everybody," Iris stated absently as she touched the gold heart pendant Brass had given her not long after they had begun dating. Treasuring it as she did, it was something she rarely took off. Her mind was forcing itself to stay focused, her heart aching to know why about Annie's sudden appearance and Brass making no mention of it.

Seeking a fresh subject to keep her mind elsewhere, Iris asked Grissom how he and Sara were progressing. She was aware they'd been exceedingly discrete of seeing each other outside of the CSI lab and also that it was not looked well on for a supervisor to be romantically involved with a subordinate.

"Things are coming along but you know how it is with having a relationship with someone you work with." Grissom said candidly, knowing Iris could relate especially to this. "Look, I saw Annie come in a little earlier this morning to see Jim. He'd mentioned she was in town to visit." He glanced at Iris to see her reaction.

Her eyes dropped downward for a moment as he heard her take a deep breath. "I was clueless. He never said a word about it. I have to admit to being a bit confused." She looked at Gil and he saw a tremulous smile and her glistening doe-like eyes behind her glasses. He gave her hand a squeeze of encouragement which she accepted gratefully as they drove on.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Sara and Catherine noted Brass leaving with Annie as they walked down the hall. Sara was on her way to go with Greg on their case assignment, while Catherine was headed to her office.

"Who's that with Brass, never seen her before?" Sara queried, her eyebrow raised curiously.

"That would be one Annie Kramer. Gil gave me a heads up that she's in town to visit Brass for a few days it seems. She's a friend of his from back in the day." Catherine replied.

"Hmm…how good a friend then?" Sara continued, thinking of Iris.

"Let's just say the closest of friends," Catherine replied, "and I'm thinking of Iris too."

"Not a spot I'd want to be in," added Sara, as they continued down the hall.

Brass held the door open for Annie. She got ready to step in but stopped suddenly to kiss him. Jim was caught off-guard by her action. He stepped back from her and she stared at him with a confused expression. "Jim, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Annie, let's get out of here," Brass answered as he went on to get into the car to drive them away.

Annie leaned over to Jim. "Do you know what I'm thinking?" she said in a low, husky voice. She began to rub his arm slowly and work her way down to his thigh.

Brass nearly lost control of the steering wheel. "What are you doin'…trying to get us killed?"

Annie sat back in her seat. "I want to pick up where we left off. I was hoping for that to happen in LA when you came looking for Ellie that last time. Things may be going forward finally with the Vic Patterson case with that evidence you left with me. If it does, I'm likely looking at a transfer and here seemed like a good idea. We've still got chemistry and history between us. I know it, I feel it, and I want it to happen. I want to be with you again. I can't stop thinking about us. I've felt that way especially after you got shot several months ago. I wish you had let come see you then. I don't want to lose you."

Jim and Ellie were still working out their differences, but their relationship was closer than it had been in years. He attributed part of that to Iris's influence on his daughter.

Iris had made every effort to be there for Ellie but in such a way as to make Ellie think of her as an older friend.

Brass still had a full plate today…two entrees.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Grissom and Iris arrived to the crime scene, which was at a seedy hotel in one of Vegas's more low-income areas. Detective Vega met them to give them an overview of what had been found thus far. There were two victims, one male and one female, found shot to death inside the hotel room. They were registered as a married couple, but the male victim's actual wife had reported him missing the night before. The detective mentioned possible motives of crime of passion, jilted wife or boyfriend. The hotel night clerk had heard shots and upon running into the parking lot only got a glance at a dark car speeding from the parking lot at around 1:30 AM. He let himself into the room and discovered the victims and then called 911. It turned out that the couple used this particular hotel often for their trysts.

"The classic triangle," Grissom stated. He then thought of what he'd said, "Iris, sorry about that."

"Grissom, no worries, to the task at hand and where do I start?" Iris said with kit in hand and ready to concentrate on what was before them.

"Start with photos while I work the room perimeter and look sharp," Grissom said as they made their way into the room.

The female victim lay nude sideways on the floor near the bathroom. Iris noted the body position suggested she was trying to flee their assailant to run to the bathroom. A single gunshot wound to the back of the head was present. The male victim was in the bed lying on his back but shot twice, once in the face and once in the genital region. Focusing the camera, Iris took several sequential shots of the bodies as well as the rest of the hotel room.

"Wow, I'd say someone was PO'd about this rendezvous and took it extra personal," Iris commented when she'd finished with the photos. "Oh, did you remember to ask for the security camera films for review?"

Gil replied, "Standard protocol to get the films but good thinking to remember asking. So much for their plans for a night out…it ended up costing them their lives for a few moments of pleasure."

Grissom had located spent shell casings on the floor, three in number, possibly from a .38 caliber pistol that he carefully enveloped. They now waited for the ME crew to remove the bodies so they could continue processing the bed for additional evidence. Gil swept the bed with the UV light noting several apparent seminal stains, which Iris carefully swabbed and capped, along with other unidentified stain sites. After taking additional photos of the bed, Iris dusted for prints, coming up with a variety that were complete, partial or smudged. This is a busy room she thought to herself. Upon checking the rest of the furniture, walls and carpeting for additional trace evidence, they finished their preliminary sweep and returned to the Tahoe to head back to the lab.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Annie made herself at home at Brass's place that evening. She insisted on making him a dinner that she was sure would set the mood for the intimate evening she desired.

After finishing the dinner and getting the dishwasher going, she came out of the kitchen to find Brass seated on his couch looking distracted in thought.

"Uh, Annie to Jimmy, are you receiving me?" she asked as she sat down beside him and positioned herself so that she was lying nearly in his lap. She began to kiss his ear and nibble at its lobe…this drove Jim wild she remembered.

"Annie….stop it…please!" Brass finally managed to say as he rapidly extricated himself from Annie's embrace.

"Your eyes say no but the rest of you is saying yes and in a big way," Annie persisted as she moved in again, sure of her conquest.

"Not tonight, Annie," Brass was firm, "you can sleep in my room and I'll be out here on the couch."

"You can't mean you don't want to make love to me," Annie stammered, incredulous.

"Annie, you're as beautiful and tempting as ever and I could right now believe me but it would just be sex," Brass said, amazed that he was not going further with this. His own body was craving this opportunity he knew beyond all doubt.

Brass stood up trying to maintain his resistance, Annie moving to hold him again as she kissed him searchingly, her tongue seeking past his lips to dance with his own. He found his said resistance waning quickly.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

The next day Iris came into the CSI lab to check on the ballistics from the shell casings Grissom had recovered from the crime scene. Bobby confirmed them to be from the same handgun that was a .38 caliber pistol. Her daily routine was off she felt not having the nightly dinner with Brass. She was going to have to go by his office at some point during the day so she made a point to get it over with.

Brass was doing some paperwork when Iris stopped by to say "Good morning." He looked up and gave her a slow smile.

"Are you and Annie having a good visit then?" Iris continued in as light a tone as she could manage.

"Yeah, catching up on old times and all," Brass replied.

Iris stepped forward and gave him a tissue, which Brass accepted quizzically. She pointed to his left cheek beside his mouth. "Lipstick," she said quietly and turned to leave.

Brass muttered an oath. "Iris, wait, do you want to have lunch today?"

"As you wish…" Iris said faintly as she exited Brass's office without turning around.

Shaking his head, Brass sat down and looked at the corner of his desk where he had a picture of Iris that he recently placed. However, Iris was unaware he had removed the original from her home so he could have a duplicate made. It showed her leaning with her arms folded on a tree branch with a faint secretive smile playing on her lips. He called it his Mona Lisa. It sat beside his favorite picture of Ellie, taken as a little girl, drawing her daddy a picture with crayons. His two favorite girls, he thought, as he gazed at them.

As Iris came back out in the hallway at a good clip, she nearly ran Grissom down as he headed toward the autopsy room. "Want to come with?" Gil asked.

"Sure thing," Iris replied, stinging a bit from seeing evidence of Brass's encounter with Annie. She'd also overheard some other lab workers commenting about Annie staying at Brass's place the night before. She quickly put on the gown smock before entering the autopsy room where Dr. Robbins had completed his Y-incision on the male victim.

Doctor Robbins gave a summary for the cause of death of each victim essentially being from the sustained gunshots. The fact that the male victim had been shot "below the belt" and face he found somewhat amusing. The coroner gave Grissom the bullets retrieved from both victims. Gross visual examination indicated them to also be .38 caliber bullets. The male victim's wife was waiting to be brought in for formal identification after which she would have to give a statement. Iris felt her heart go out to her and her children. Her day was difficult but paled to the one this family was going to have to go through.

Gil and Iris left then to go to ballistics to give the bullets to Bobby Dawson for further analysis. That being done, Grissom returned to his office while Iris went on to review the hotel security camera tapes. Jackie, the fingerprint tech, had also informed them that a match had been found to one of the prints at the crime scene, those of the night clerk who it turned out had a record but nothing major as far as offenses went.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Iris's morning went uneventfully. She scanned over the security camera tapes that showed the hotel lobby where the desk clerk sat as well as externally for the hotel rooms facing the parking lot. Something was not adding up to her and she continued to review the tapes to clarify her thinking. She looked at her watch and saw it was nearly noon.

Brass had invited her to lunch so perhaps Annie was sightseeing Iris wondered. Good a time as any to stop she decided as she turned off the VCR and turned the tapes back over to the security room.

Iris bumped into Nick walking with Breanne as she came out the main hallway. "You two headed out to lunch?"

"Yes, want to join us?" asked Nick, proudly holding Breanne's arm.

"Can't…have my own lunch date…but enjoy!" Iris replied as they walked on out. Nice looking couple she thought to herself.

As she walked toward Brass's office, she noted that he was on the phone and that Annie was again sitting across from him. Iris froze. What to do? Silly twit, get on with it, she told herself, and you're above all this.

She knocked at the doorway. Brass put his hand over the phone. "Iris, just a minute please. Okay?" He motioned to his other chair as Iris sat down.

Grissom was walking by and saw both women in Brass's office. Oh, Lord, he thought, fireworks getting ready to go off or what. He waited out of sight but not earshot, ready to intervene if necessary. He was not an eavesdropper by any means but he was concerned that the situation might go from bad to worse.

Brass finished his call and sat down slowly. This situation was both unique and perplexing for him. Years before when Brass's ex-wife Nancy had found out about Annie, it had been a hellish experience during which he'd become aware of their mutual infidelities and which his ex-wife had used as leverage to end their marriage. While he had wanted to keep things together, Nancy had wanted out and in the end he gave her what she desired. Annie drifted out of his life to work out west in LA until he had reconnected with her for help with Ellie. Both Annie and Iris had readily helped him with his errant daughter and he cared for each of them.

"Ladies, I'm at a bit of a loss of what to do here. I've been called over to the court as an emergency witness. I was to have lunch and now I can't." Brass finished, barely able to conceal his mounting discomfort.

"As you wish, Captain Brass, but I think I can offer an agreeable solution," Iris said carefully, Brass picking up on how formal and detached she sounded. "Annie is welcome to join me for lunch as I am not otherwise engaged. She may remain with me until you're free to resume your day with her," Iris finished.

The detective was wondering why Iris kept saying 'as you wish'. What did that mean?

Was it some kind of new female code?

"I would love the chance to get to know Iris better, so I accept her kind offer," Annie said.

Jim Brass was speechless and could only nod his head in agreement.

"Wonderful, Annie, we can go now if you like," Iris replied.

The two women arose and walked out, a sharp contrast to one another. Annie being the taller, stunning figure that she carried with confidence and poise; Iris walking resolutely beside her, feeling more like the "Scooby Do Velma" she'd been compared to than ever.

Grissom thought he felt a migraine coming on as he discretely made his way toward his own office.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Annie dove into her seafood plate with relish as Iris dully picked at her salad. She had no appetite and was struggling with wondering how this time alone with Annie was going to proceed.

"So how long have you known Captain Brass?" Iris started the conversation, trying to sound chit-chatty. She looked speculatively at the exceedingly attractive woman seated across from her. This was not going to be easy her heart said.

"Jimmy and I worked for the same police department back east in Jersey. We've known each other several years. I think you should know right off that we're more than just friends." Annie said frankly.

"He has alluded that the relationship you shared was intimate," Iris responded quietly.

"Okay, let me get to the point. I have a chance here to resume something I had that was amazingly special and I intend to see it through. I've no wish to hurt you, Iris, but you need to understand that I take no prisoners here. Have you been with him? I need to know where you two stand with each other," Annie said, her voice even and controlled.

"No, we haven't been together as you have. We've been dating these last few months and this has been an amazingly special time for me as well," Iris replied, her voice catching just a little.

"You mean you haven't slept with him? Why not? I should tell you what you're missing. Jimmy's especially good in the loving department!" Annie found herself laughing, not spitefully, but out of disbelief.

Feeling what dignity she had being shredded, Iris looked directly at Annie. "Please don't. Yes, I've wondered what it would be like and more than I would readily admit to a stranger but as we have him common I will not regret saying I've desired him greatly."

"You still haven't said why you haven't slept with him," Annie persisted.

"Because I'm in love with him," Iris said simply but honestly.

"Does he know you're in love with him? You've never talked to him about sleeping together? He hasn't wanted to with you? I'm trying hard to understand your situation, really I am." Annie continued her efforts to gain more insight.

"We've discussed it, of course. He wanted to and made it known from nearly the start of our seeing each other. I'm old-fashioned about some things and for me I couldn't just sleep with him for the sake of some quick sex. I respect Jim and for me the only way is with the full I do's and till death do you part, but we've never really said we loved one another," Iris continued as memories of the fake marriage she had had earlier in her life arose, questions coming out like tentacles to assail her.

"Iris, I don't want to come across as some witch here to trash what you've had with Jimmy, even though I'm sure that's how I must seem to you. Really, I admire your guts and determination but here's how I see it. Jim's got appetites that I know how to satisfy. We have more things in common and I see myself as the long-term solution to what he needs. You know, under different circumstances we could be great friends."

Annie was trying to be compassionate in this very unique circumstance. She wasn't out to get Iris but she viewed her as the obstacle to the conclusion of her plans. Annie felt Iris deserved to know the whole reason as to why she was here and went on to tell Iris about the criminal case she had evidence for and which Brass had been instrumental in getting for her, but that proceeding with it would be career suicide for her to be able to stay in LA and that ever since she'd last seen Brass it had caused her to want to resume what they'd shared.

"You're between a rock and a hard place with your job situation and I do sympathize. I truly hope things work out for you in that regard. As for what's going on between us about Jim, I guess it's like having cereal everyday for breakfast. You would be the variety pack and I would be Wheaties. A person might tire of having the same thing day in and day out I suppose." Iris's cell phone buzzed, showing a text message from Jim that he was on his way back from court to the office. "Well, it's time for us to get back…check please". Iris said evenly but inside she felt cold as if a million miles away


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Iris returned to the CSI lab with Annie. They'd been frank with one another and their conversation level never deteriorated. Annie found herself admiring the "other woman" in spite of herself. Iris had carried herself with a grace Annie found unique. She walked into Brass's office to take a seat and await his return as Iris headed back to check surveillance tapes. As she did so, she saw the pictures of Ellie and Iris.

Grissom had left a voicemail on her cell phone to report the male victim's wife had an airtight alibi, so they were back to square one to try to find the assailant. As Iris reviewed the tapes yet again, her heart skipped a beat as she saw a section of film that caused her mind to click from earlier. She called Grissom right away and asked for him to join her as she continued reviewing the tape.

"Okay, show me what you've got," Gil said in his straightforward way. He was still amazed that Iris had taken Annie to lunch and there'd been no report of an out-and-out altercation at the restaurant. Yet he was growing to understand how Iris was cut from more special cloth than that.

"Remember the night clerk saying he heard shots at 1:30 AM and running outside to see a dark car speeding away from the parking lot? Now here's the time record here from 1:20 AM to 1:45 AM on the tapes. I've got them synced to the where the clerk sits and outside in the parking lot. Do you see the clerk hoofing it out to the parking lot at all?"Iris finished, knowing that when she was a bit nervous she talked too quickly. She looked to Gil for affirmation.

"Iris, I think you may have something here. I'm calling Brass to get the clerk picked up for further questioning. Good work." Gil finished, patting her on the shoulder. He noted her suddenly sad expression.

"What's got you down?" He knew the answer but waited on her.

"You know the iris is a flower that blooms from a bulb in the spring and then it becomes dormant until it blooms again. For the first time in my life, I feel I've bloomed since I've been here with you all and even more so knowing Jim. I don't want to go dormant again. Sort of sounds clichéd I know." Iris said, her voice soft and quiet, looking toward Gil with haunted eyes.

"I also know the Greek word Iris means rainbow and got its name from the Greek goddess Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, who was a messenger on Mount Olympus, taking messages from the eye of Heaven to earth by the arc of the rainbow, acting as a bridge between the mortals and immortals. The three leaves of the iris represent faith, wisdom and valor. I think you're well-named and imbued with all the qualities of the flower. You won't go dormant." Gil tried in reassuring her.

"Griss, you know your flora as well as your fauna, and I appreciate all that, truly. Either way, Gil, I hope it's worthy on that night clerk. I've got choir practice tonight so if you need me back in just call my cell," Iris replied switching gears and rising suddenly to take her leave of Grissom.

On the way home, she'd gone by Warrick's place to check on him and drop off some more chicken soup she'd made up. He was still looking and feeling rugged, but improving and happy for the soup and company. She told him to call if he needed anything. Warrick told her he enjoyed having his own personal Florence Nightingale.

Upon pulling into her driveway and going inside her town home, she was greeted her dogs, Cyrano and Durante, as they whined softly before she walked them later. They seemed to sense her distress. Before she headed to church for choir practice, she wanted a little down time and to warm up her voice. She felt like listening to Martina McBride tonight and put on a CD to sing to. She opened the French doors to her balcony and sat outside in a lawn chair with her dogs laying beside as the music began and in her own clear alto sang with Martina "Safe in the Arms of Love":

"My heart's not ready for the rocking chair  
I need somebody who really cares  
So tired of livin' solitaire  
Someday I'm gonna be  
Safe in the arms of love

Strip your heart and it starts to snow  
Love is a high-wire act I know  
Someday I'll find a net below

Someday I'm gonna be  
Safe in the arms of love  
Safe in the arms of love

CHORUS  
I want arms that know how to rock me  
Safe in the arms of love  
I wanna fall and know that love has caught me  
Safe in the arms of love  
Safe in the arms of love

I want a heart to be forever mine  
Want eyes to see me satisfied  
Gonna hang my heartaches out to dry  
Some day I'm gonna be safe in the arms of love  
Safe in the arms of love."

Unknown to her, Brass sat in his car outside her town home and heard her as she sang into the evening sky. His cell phone rang. It was Annie as he took the call.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Later that evening, Brass walked into the church Iris attended. He asked a teenaged boy inside where he might find Iris. He was lead to the nursery room where he heard the laughter of a young child above some oldies 50's music playing. Stepping into the room, he found Iris dancing with a little girl on her hip and pretending to dip the child down. The child responded with loud giggles. Seeing Brass, Iris stopped and set the little girl on the ground and turned off the music.

The little girl promptly ran to the police captain, begging to be picked up. He noted she had blue eyes and curly blonde hair with the features of a Down syndrome child. He gently picked the child up. "Who'th thith, Mith 'Rith?" asked the girl; her lisp pronounced as she looked at Jim.

"This is my good friend, Mr. Jim," Iris answered.

"Hi, I'm Heidi. I like you, Mithter Jim," said the little girl as she hugged Brass with genuine affection. Brass let out a little oof at the strength of the youngster. He gave the little girl a smile as he tousled her hair.

"Well, I like you too, Heidi," Brass replied as he carefully put Heidi down. She held his hand as he walked with her over to Iris.

In spite of herself, Iris couldn't help hiding a smile behind her hand. "Sir, you do have a way with the ladies."

Heidi's mother, Janice, poked her head in just then, "Thanks for watching her, Iris. Heidi, it's time to go."

"Okay, Mama, bye Mith 'Rith, bye Mithter Jim," Heidi said. She'd been holding both each of their hands and as she left she put their hands together. She ran on to catch her mother's hand as they left the nursery room.

"Cute kid," Brass said.

It was an awkward moment for them as Iris let go of Jim's hand. "She is and pure in her love of everyone. Jim, why are you here?" she asked simply.

"I wanted you to know that the night clerk confessed to the shootings. I was questioning him with Gil and we brought up what you found on the security camera tapes. In addition, the murder weapon was found in his car that we searched after getting a warrant. Apparently he'd tried coming on to the female victim and she refused his advances. He got tired of it and that night when the couple was otherwise engaged, he had the master key and entered their room and that was that. You cracked the case and I wanted you to know. Good work." Brass concluded.

"I could have heard that back at the lab or with a cell phone call. I think you are expected elsewhere tonight." Iris said feeling suddenly tired and alone.

Brass suddenly grasped her hands in his. He looked piercingly at her. "Look, I've had no time with you since Annie's been here. Your taking her to lunch was out of the blue to me and surprisingly that there was no catfight. What did you two discuss? I'd like to know right now from you and hold nothing back."

"As you wish but know this no matter what that you will always have my respect, my regard, and my heart. I can't compete for you as if you were some prize in a Cracker Jack box. I had hoped one day that this might lead to something permanent between us such as saying I do to each other. In my heart I see you as my bashert, foolishly perhaps, but you deserve to know what was said so this will be the 'Reader's Digest' condensed version. Anything I said to Annie beyond it she can relate to you but she sees you with her and that's it in a nutshell. I truly wish you and Annie all the best, but are you the same man you were when you first met her?" Iris finished as she gently kissed him as she would a good friend on the cheek before breaking her hands from his and walking away swiftly to go to her choir practice.

Brass swore under his breath, sighing wearily as he went to leave the other way.

Annie could wait he thought as he called her on the cell phone and then called Grissom.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Grissom opened up his door at home to let his best friend in. He poured a drink for both of them.

"Women troubles," Grissom said, cutting to the chase.

"Oy ve," answered Brass, "you don't know the half, Gil".

"I've never had this before. I mean it was totally different when it was Annie, Nancy and I. Now it's Annie and Iris. Annie wants me hot and heavy and it's been tough this week. Iris is…I don't know…she's not trying for me in that way." Brass held the cold glass to the side of his head to ease the throbbing in his temples.

"Jim, as much as I would like to I can't tell you what to do or how to do it or with whom, but I will say that Iris won't settle," Gil said firmly.

"Iris has been saying this 'as you wish' line to me all week since Annie showed up and it's starting to tick me off and, by the way, what's a bashert?" growled Brass.

"I think I can wing those for you," Gil said after taking a long drink from his glass. He went on to explain that he and Iris were something of movie buffs and would occasionally test one another with a movie quote. One time she had simply said 'as you wish' which for once had stumped Grissom. It turned out to be a quote from "The Princess Bride" where the title character would order about a young farm hand who as he did every task she put him to would simply reply with 'as you wish'. And that one day, the princess was amazed to discover that when he was saying, "As you wish," what he meant was, "I love you." As far as explaining bashert, Gil smiled, as he went on to describe the meaning of the Hebrew word and Jewish concept of one's predestined mate as when people commonly yearn for their soul mate, what they are really yearning for is "the one and only" person who can make them complete. "This is their "twin flame" or "Bashert" and when we are with our "Bashert", we realize that we are "two halves of the same person". Our "Bashert" gives us the opportunity to grow in love like no other person can."

"Thanks for the drink, Gil, got some thinking to do," Brass said as he drained his glass. "Annie awaits me."

On getting back to his home, Brass asked Annie to tell him fully of what she and Iris had discussed over their lunch. She found this to be an odd request but held nothing back as she relayed the main points of the conversation. Jim and Annie talked long into the night.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

The next day the entire CSI team had assembled for disbursal of new assignments and/or updates on current cases. Iris sat at the end of the table flanked by Sara and a chair over sat Nick. Her mood was subdued as she reread her notes over the double homicide she'd worked with Grissom. In her mind's eye, she envisioned Brass walking in to announce Annie joining the LVPD as a fellow detective with rank of captain. It would make perfect sense. They had known each much longer, were comfortable with each other, and had shared the most intimate experience a man and woman could. She steeled herself for whatever might come, knowing she would get through it and survive it.

As if on cue, Brass walked into the break room but it was his night off Iris thought and why is he coming to a CSI assignment meeting. This never happens. He probably had the very announcement to make that Iris had imagined. Swallowing hard, she looked directly ahead with as neutral a gaze and facial expression as possible. Never stopping Jim walked past the rest of the team to stand beside Iris and then take the empty seat beside her. She continued to try to simply look ahead as he placed his hands on hers. She could not act neutral any longer and shifted her gaze to his blue eyes.

"I have an announcement to make to those I consider my friends. Here's as good a place as any. Annie Kramer went back to LA earlier today. The guy she was looking for here has changed some since they last saw one another. We parted on good terms. However, I'm here to ask Iris an important question." Brass finished as he opened his hands to place a small burgundy velvet box in her now trembling hands.

Iris opened the box to find the most beautiful engagement ring she'd ever seen. It was a simple but elegant emerald-cut diamond solitaire set in platinum that was engraved with fleur-de-lis irises. She gave a sharp intake of breath and lowered her head as she fought to keep her composure. When she raised her eyes again, Jim had kneeled beside her.

"I'm doing this the old-fashioned way. I'm not one for flowery romantic speeches, so here's my best pitch. Marry me, grow old with me, the best is yet to be." He said simply and firmly. No doubt colored his tone. He held her left hand as he slipped the ring onto the third finger, noting that it fit near perfectly. "By the way, I happen to love Wheaties, you know, the breakfast of champions. Remember you did propose first, so what's your answer, Iris?" Brass winked at her as he finished.

Iris was still struggling to keep from breaking totally into tears and could only manage to say shakily, "As you wish," while Brass raised her to her feet to hold her in a bear hug so that she could scarcely breathe and soundly kissing her at the same time.

The break room suddenly erupted then as the rest of the team encircled them to extend congratulations. Brass found himself getting slapped on the back and being told about time by Nick and Warrick. Grissom was all smiles as he shook Jim's hand and hit him on the shoulder, telling Brass that he knew all along he would come through. Greg just simply shook the police captain's hand and told him way to go. Iris herself was embraced first by Sara and then Catherine as they simultaneously begin to speak of plans needing to be made and they would help with all the details. They went on to Jim to give him hugs. Nick gave Iris an especially long hug, asking if he could give the happy news to Breanne. Greg spun her around as he resoundingly kissed her on the cheek. Warrick gave her his sly smile followed by a hug and as he said in her ear that her chicken noodle soup brought him back from the brink. She finally found herself getting embraced by Grissom who looked down at her with an enigmatic smile. He stood back to raise both of her hands to give a gentlemanly kiss of congratulation. "Right out of the movies, Griss, very classy," Iris grinned at him as he flashed a wink her way. Brass then warned Grissom to watch himself with his woman, causing a fresh outbreak of laughter from the entire team. Holding Iris close, Jim whispered to her, "So when's the happy day my bashert?"

THE END

PLEASE REVIEW! I WELCOME ALL INPUT AND TRY TO ANSWER ALL REVIEWS. THE NEXT UPCOMING BRASS/IRIS STORY IS "TO HAVE AND TO HOLD" WHICH WILL BE COMING VERY SOON.

MY HUMBLE THANKS,

LADYKESTREL


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